Back support for backpack

ABSTRACT

A backpack including a backpack body, and a plate inside the backpack body behind the forward facing side of the body. The plate includes a top panel, an intermediate panel that inclines forward toward the small of the wearer&#39;s back and a lower panel which is located forward toward the small of the back of the wearer and extends down from the inclined panel. Support handles are supported on the lower panel at the front of the backpack at the height of the small of the back of the wearer when the backpack is worn. The handles have a concave slide resistant side toward the wearer&#39;s back. Placement of a shoulder strap on the wearer&#39;s front facing side of the body of the backpack helps urge the support handles toward the wearer&#39;s back.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a backpack supported from the shoulders of the wearer and with a support to rest on the wearer's back included on the backpack so that the backpack rests against the wearer's back.

Backpacks are typically supported on the wearer's shoulders, typically by straps on the backpack. To reduce the weight of the backpack carried on the shoulders and provide additional support for the backpack, it is known to fasten the backpack so it is supported on the wearer's back generally at the waist and at or above the hip bone of the wearer.

Various support devices are associated with a backpack. There are several embodiments of frames that support a backpack that include a waist support. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,232,049; 7,021,508; 5,836,489; 5,806,741; 4,303,186; and 2005/0092802. In nearly all of these designs, the frame is stiff and may be at the exterior of the bag or may be inside and may then frame the bag. The frame may support the upper portion of the bag. Straps that support the bag at the shoulders may be attached to the frame or to the exterior of the bag.

Further, various types of waist supports are provided at the frame including a support at the wearer's waist at the wearer's back and/or a support that extends forward from the frame to rest on the wearer's hips. Some hip supports extend forward from the frame along the side of the wearer to rest on the hips.

In addition to or as an alternative to a hip support, a belt is associated with the hip support. The belt is tightened around the body of the wearer, pulling the hip support to a position over the hip and securing the backpack to the wearer's body at the hips.

Many known backpacks with frames are relatively complex structures, with the frame having features to correctly position the hip support, and with the support having several parts resting against the back and the hip, and with the aforementioned belts or attachments of the waist support to the body.

Many known backpack designs are complex in appearance and structure. Many users of backpacks prefer one that is simple to put on and wear, does not look complex, and is comfortable. Children especially do not like complexity or a “nerdy” appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a backpack that includes support at the wearer's shoulders and at the wearer's back.

A principal object is to simplify the structure of the backpack and its supports. Another object of the invention is to make a backpack that is relatively light in weight as compared with conventional backpacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawing Figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front, body facing side of a backpack according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the opposite outward facing side of an embodiment of the backpack;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plate frame element that is disposed at the front, body facing side of the backpack;

FIG. 5 illustrates the backpack being worn; and

FIG. 6 is a top view of a support handle of the backpack

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

A backpack 10 in which the present invention is included may include a relatively soft or unframed body 12. The backpack may include a plate like frame 40 located either inside or outside the body of the backpack and shaped for shaping the body of the backpack. The inside of the body 12 of the backpack has open spaces, pockets and the like of a typical backpack for holding objects placed in it. One objective of the backpack is to make it light weight for easy wearing. Providing a strong stiff enough plate or frame support 40 at the body of the backpack achieves that objective.

The body 12 of the backpack has a front side 14 that faces toward the back of the wearer and has a rear outward facing side 16 opposite the front side. A typical support for a backpack on a wearer comprises a pair of shoulder straps 22, 24, which are attached at 26 to the top side 28 toward the front side 14 of the backpack, and the straps extend down to be the attached at 31, at the lateral sides 33, 35 of the backpack toward its bottom side 29. The shoulder straps 22, 24 may be adjusted at strap buckles 32, 34 to the desired degree of tightness of the straps and also to position the body of the backpack, so that below described back support handles 60, 62 will be at the height of the small or concave part of the wearer's back when the backpack is suspended from the wearer's shoulders by the straps 22, 24.

The backpack has a plate 40 located at the inside of the body facing surface 14. The plate is shaped at its top 42 to support the top side 28 of the backpack sufficiently to give it height. The body 43 of the plate extends down to a bend region 44 of the plate where the plate bends to incline forward toward the wearer's back at a panel 46 below the bend 44. Below a lower bend region 48, the plate is not inclined and a forwardly located plate panel 50 extends down to the bottom end 52 of the plate. That bottom end is at or at least near to the bottom of the backpack. The plate also has sides 54, 56, which are at or at least near the respective sides 33, 35 of the backpack. The shape of the plate along its sides 42, 52, 54, 56 define the height and width of the backpack, without needing an additional frame in the backpack for the purpose.

The plate 40 is illustrated as a solid plate and may be of metal or stiff molded plastic. A preferable material is lightweight, so that plastic is preferred. It is shaped to fit behind the fabric on the body facing side 14 of the backpack. The frame is attached to the backpack at attachment fixtures 57, e.g. a bolted connection between them, by rivets, glue or other known fastening technique for fastening the plate to the body facing side of the backpack.

The plate 40 may be substituted by a frame that has the described features of the plate including sides that shape the backpack and panels at least at 46 and 50. That frame might be at least in part formed of tubes. Since the plate is at the wearer's back, a plate is preferable, so that pressure is more widely distributed over the wearer's back using a plate rather than a more peripheral frame.

The plate is inside the backpack where it would not be seen and would not diminish the uniform appearance of the exterior of a backpack. In the alternative, the plate could be positioned just outside the front surface of the backpack toward the back of the wearer.

The shaping of the plate, particularly the panels 46 and 50 and the bends 44 and 48, correspondingly shapes the front facing side 14 of the backpack against the back of the wearer at the small of the back. In particular, the area 45 of the front facing side overlies the plate panel 43, the area 47 overlies the panel 46 and the area 49 overlies the panel 50. Therefore, the area 49 extends forward toward the concave small of the wearer's back.

Further, the attachment locations 26 for the straps 22, 24 forward toward the wearer's back, coupled with the weight and height of the backpack, tend to cause the backpack to pivot forward at the bottom area 49 toward the wearer's back.

A pair of support handles 60, 62 are provided at the front facing surface of the area 49 of the backpack. They are intended to rest against the small of the wearer's back above the hips when the backpack is urged forward. Because of the attachment location 26 of the backpack straps toward the front side of the backpack, and the shape of the front side 14 of the backpack, and the effect of gravity on the backpack, the waist support handles normally rest on the wearer's back. The waist support handles may be slightly curved toward the front but preferably not so much as to wrap around the waist.

The support handles 60 and 62 are attached rigidly to the wearer facing side of the plate at the panel 50, which is preferably disposed inside the front side surface 14 of the backpack, at attachment locations 64, 66 by screwing on or by other fastenings. There may be a plurality of screws or fastenings at 64 and 66 to prevent rotation of the handles 60, 62 on the backpack. The handles should not shift with reference to the backpack in normal use.

The support handles may be comprised of any stiff material. Stiff molded rubber is preferred, because it would not be as hard to the touch as molded plastic or metal. The material can be stiff enough not to bend under normal use, for example, if a user were to sit on a surface and press the backpack and waist support handles against his body. In addition, the material of the handles, or at least their outward facing surfaces, may comprise or have a material, a surface texture or configuration to resist sliding over the backside of the outer garment of the wearer, which prevents or resists sliding of the backpack over the wearer's back.

The support handles may stand away from the front side 14 of the body of the backpack due to their illustrated curved shape with reference to the front side of the backpack. Referring to FIG. 6, the handle may be a block at 67 with a concave front facing outward side and a rear side flat to lie against the front side 14 of the backpack. This or other designs for the handles 60, 62 may be selected to block access behind the support handles.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A backpack comprising: a body with an open area capable of receiving items, the body having a top side, an opposite bottom side, and left and right lateral sides, a front side that faces a body of a wearer when the backpack is worn, and an opposite rear side facing away from the wearer when the backpack is worn; the backpack having a shoulder support toward the top side; a support plate or a frame at the front facing side of the backpack and shaped generally to a height and width of the backpack and; a waist support handle at the plate or frame and shaped to rest against the back of a wearer when the backpack is worn.
 2. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the shoulder support is adjustable to position the support handles at a location above hips of the wearer.
 3. The backpack of claim 2, wherein the shoulder support comprises straps that are adjustable in length to position the support handles at the wearer's back.
 4. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the plate or frame is shaped to include an upper portion or panel to rest against the back of the wearer of the backpack, an intermediate portion or panel below the upper portion or panel and that is inclined toward the back of the wearer when the backpack is worn and a lower portion or panel below the intermediate portion and that extends down from the intermediate panel; the waist support handle is supported on the lower panel.
 5. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the shoulder support comprises a shoulder strap attached at the top side of the backpack at a location toward the front side of the backpack.
 6. The backpack of claim 4, wherein the shoulder support comprises a pair of the shoulder straps attached at the top side of the backpack and each strap extends to one of the lateral sides below the top of the backpack.
 7. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the shoulder support comprises a pair of shoulder straps attached at the top side of the backpack and each strap extends to one of the lateral sides below the top of the backpack.
 8. The backpack of claim 1, comprising first and second ones of the waist support handles respectively located toward the left and right sides of a wearer when the backpack is worn.
 9. The backpack of claim 8, wherein the support handles are rigidly attached to the plate or frame.
 10. The backpack of claim 8, wherein each support handle is shaped to have a front side toward the wearer, a rear side toward the front side of the backpack and being shaped such that access between the handles and the front side of the backpack is blocked.
 11. The backpack of claim 10, wherein the front side of the support handles is concavely curved.
 12. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the handle has a front side toward the wearer which is concavely curved.
 13. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the support handle is rigidly attached to the plate or frame.
 14. The backpack of claim 1, wherein the plate or frame is disposed inside the backpack behind the front side of the backpack and the plate or frame is there fastened to the backpack. 